Robert Jeffrey

Sun Sports Contributor

sports@evesun.com

SHERBURNE – While neither Chenango County team had a shot at the championship, the game between the Marauders and Storm was important for bragging rights in the county. Each team jockeyed for position in the opening quarter as both teams appeared evenly matched offensively as the score after the first stanza stood at 12-8 in favor of the UV Storm. The S-E offense slightly recovered, outscoring their opponents by one point in the second period of play as both teams headed to the locker room at the end of the first half in a near standstill with UV taking an early lead at 22-19.

However, the second half faired much different for the home town team. Coming out of the locker room the Storm continued their consistent scoring on the night as Dante Dye put the Storm out in front by double-digits for the first time in the game as he scored seven of his nine points in the period. Meanwhile, Gabe Irwin provided the only means of offense for the Marauders scoring all five points for S-E in the third period.

With the 35-24 game still within reach entering the final period for the Marauders, they needed another offensive weapon to take center stage. With the UV defense containing S-E’s Gabe Irwin, the Storm went back to work on the attack. Caleb Parker and Levi Rifanberg combined for 11 points in the fourth quarter for UV as their dynamic offensive effort went to work as they continued to halt the Marauder offense. Unable to produce answers for their lack of offense, S-E eventually fell by a final score of 51-35 to their cross-county rival.

For the Marauders Gabe Irwin led his team with 12 points. UV’s Andrew Jackson led his team with 14 points on his way to receiving All-Tournament honors for his efforts during the two day event, and Rifanburg added 10 in the win.

VVS took home the championship trophy, topping Tully 57-46 in the game following the consolation game.

In the opening round of the Sherburne-Earlville tip-off tournament on Friday, the Unadilla Valley boys basketball team faced a four point deficit heading into the final stanza of play as the Storm were within a mere grasp of their first win of the season. Trailing the entire game, and outscoring their Red Devil opposition for the first time in the game during the third quarter, things were looking up for UV.

But as soon as the momentum swung in favor of the boys from New Berlin, the pendulum rotated back as the VVS wrecking ball in Davey Moffett took over in the fourth quarter. The Red Devil big man took total control in the final stanza, scoring 10 of his game high 23 points over the game’s final eight minutes. With Moffett leading the charge on offense, the Red Devils closed the game on a 21-8 run, turning a once four point lead into a 17 point blow-out as VVS took the first round game in stride winning 57-40. Andrew Jackson led the Storm in scoring on the evening recording 19 points in the setback.

The tournament host Sherburne-Earlville Marauders faced a five point deficit heading into the final eight minutes of play against the Black Knights of Tully.

After the Marauders entered the locker room with the score nearly deadlocked at 26-20 in favor of the visiting Black Knights. S-E rallied in the third period to set themselves up for an exciting finish in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the Marauders, the boys from Tully organized their offensive attack. Saving their best scoring attack for the game, the Black Knights amassed 22 points in the final quarter. Tully’s Joe Crawford led the offensive onslaught for the visitors, scoring nine of his game high 21 points in the period. Adding to Crawford’s offense was Colum Swan supplementing six points of his own to push the Black Knights for a date in the championship game.

The Marauder offense struggled to keep up with the fast paced Black Knight offense as the balanced scoring for S-E only managed 18 points in the final eight minutes. Gabe Irwin led the Marauders in the fourth scoring seven of his eleven points in the period. Teammate Hunter Lane led S-E in scoring with 13 points in the game in his team’s eventual 58-49 setback.

Sherburne-Earlville (1-2) plays again this week when they travel to play Sauquoit Valley on Tuesday December 5 at 7:00. The Unadilla Valley Storm are back in action on Wednesday December 6, when they host South Kortright with game time slated for 7:15.

VVS 57, UV 40